Application Cycle One: 2008

• Undergraduate college: UCLA
• Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences

• Total MCAT SCORE: 516
• MCAT Section Scores: B/B 130, C/P 128, CARS 129   Detailed Breakdown
• Overall GPA: 3.40
• Science GPA: 3.21

Summary of Application Experience

Ok guys, my application shows that even with a low GPA there is hope!! nina7123 on SDN. PM me if you are a fellow low-GPA applicant and need some encouragement :-)

A quick summary: I was devastated when I saw my low GPA on AMCAS (it was higher on my transcript). If I had known about my low GPA I would have left out a lot of the top tier schools on my primary app. I think with updates I was around a 3.5 GPA, 3.4 BCPM

What helped me:
1.I think I had very strong LORs. One of my LOR writers mentioned that she would add in that my major has a very low average GPA
2. Applied to MD-MPH programs. I got the impression that these smaller programs focus more on the person and less on numbers
3. Sent in grade updates as I went along + some explanations for my grades. I had all As in my senior year science classes.
4. It was hinted that my ECs showed the development of my interests, rather than simply doing ECs as resume builders.

Good luck!!